CE 415: Lec 5

Traffic stream components

and characteristics; and
Theories of traffic flow

Microscopic models

Car-following model
Lane-changing model
Gap-acceptance model
Lane-choice model
Models of intersection controls

Microscopic models?
microscopic

Lateral:
lane-changing
others, such as behaviour
at discontinuities

Longitudinal:
choosing free speed
interacting with other
vehicles and obstacles

Car-following models
Car following theories describe how one vehicle follows
another vehicle in an uninterrupted flow.
In a single stream of traffic (lane disciplined)
No overtaking
The car following behaviour controls the motion of the
vehicles.
The models assume that there is a correlation between
vehicles in a range of inter-vehicle spacing, from 0 to about
100 to 125 meters.
Three main types:
Safety-distance model (Gipps' model)
Action-point model
(e.g. Leutzbach and
Psycho-physical Or
Wiedemann, 1986; GM models)
Psycho spacing models

Car Following models

Describe how one vehicle follows another in an
uninterrupted flow

Describe how one driver react to the change in position

of the vehicle ahead.

General motion car-following theory in the most popular

Few existing models

Gipps model
Pipe's model
Forbes' model
General Motors' model

The Gipps car-following model

Gipps' First Car Following Model
(v(0)=0,Vn=20m/s, an=1.7m/s/s, T=1sec)

Free flow model

Safety-distance model
Driver maintains a speed n
which will just allow him to
stop in emergency without
hitting the obstacle at
distance S ahead

Speed v(t) (m/s)

Accelerate freely to desired

speed

25
20
15
10
5
0
0

10

15

20

Time (second)

25

30

35

Pipes and Forbes Models

Pipes Model: A good rule for following another vehicle at a
safe distance is to allow yourself at least the
length of a car between your vehicle and the
vehicle ahead of you for every ten mile per hour
of speed at which you are traveling.

Forbes Model: To ensure safety, the time gap between a

vehicle and the vehicle in front of it should be
always greater than or equal to reaction time.
Disadvantage: at low speeds, the minimum headways proposed by
these models are considerably less than the corresponding
field measurements.

General Motors' model

response stimulus
Acceleration

follower

(af)

Speed difference (v)

Distance between cars (x)

Speed of the following car (vf)

a (t t ) [v (t ) v (t )]
n t

n 1

Basic assumptions : driver maintains safe

distance or driver wants to drive at the desired
speed

Variants and constraints

Variable reaction times
Variable acceleration and deceleration
Variable or multiple lead vehicles

Lane-disciplined
Stable traffic flow: do not produce incidents

Lane Changes
The transfer of a vehicle from
one lane to next adjacent lane
is defined as lane change.
Lane changing has a significant
impact on traffic flow.

Lane-changing models

Models of individual drivers ability and

propensity to change lanes

Lane-changing objectives, e.g.

To overtake a slower moving vehicle

To bypass an obstacle
To move off/into a reserved bus lane
To get-in-lane for next junction turning
To give-way to merging traffic

Decision-making behaviour:

Is it possible to change lane? (physically & safely)

Is it necessary to change lane? (for junction turning?)
Is it desirable to change lane? (to overtake?)

Lane-changing models
Modelling the behaviour of a vehicle within its present lane is
relatively straightforward, as the only considerations of any
importance are the speed and location of the preceding vehicle.
Lane changing, however, is more complex, because the decision
to change lanes depends on a number of objectives, and at times
these may conflict.
Gap acceptance models are used to model the execution of lanechanges.
The available gaps are compared to the smallest acceptable gap
(critical gap) and a lane-change is executed if the available gaps
are greater.
Gaps may be defined either in terms of time gap or free space.

Classification of Lane change

Mandatory Lane Change (MLC):

Discretionary Lane Change (DLC):

Gap Acceptance Model

The subject vehicle tends to move from its current lane to

target Lane, into the gap between 2 vehicles travelling in
the target lane. When a driver wants to do lane changing,
the critical lead gap and the lag gap are required to be
acceptable for the driver. Otherwise, it is not safe for the
driver to do the lane changing.

subject= Vehicle which will do the lane-changing manoeuvre

lead and following= Lead and following vehicle of the subject
vehicle
lead gap = Gap between the lead vehicle and the subject
vehicle in the target lane
lag gap= Gap between the following vehicle and the subject
vehicle in the target lane
front gap= Gap between the current lead vehicle and the
subject vehicle in the subject lane
Sa and Sb = Speed of the lead and following vehicle

Sn = Speed of the subject vehicle

Lane-choice models

Selection of the lateral position

in entering or traversing a link.
Pre-specified, or
Instantaneous choice made in
response to traffic condition and
destination

Models of intersection traffic control

Signal controlled: fixed or
responsive

Signs: giveway
Roundabout
Expressway merge